KOI

Los Angeles

Holywood’s A-list can’t get enough of Koi, the Zen like Pan Asian restaurant on La Cienega Boulevard. Incorporating feng shui elements of trickling water, votive candles, open-air patios, and soft lighting, the minimalist earthen-hued interior has a calming ambience that is a welcome relief from the hectic Melrose scene just outside the ornately carved gates. Exec chef Stephane Chevet's brilliant fusions of Japanese and Californian cuisine accounts for the repeat clientele. Sushi and traditional Japanese favorites are generally well executed, but it's the chef's signature menu that fuels this party scene. Like Japanese tapas, these tasty tidbits are small and easily shared. Lightly seared spicy tuna on quarter-size bed of crispy rice is a perfect bite-size treat. Other favorites include buttery black cod glazed with miso sauce, sweet broiled Alaskan king crab legs coated with garlic-butter sauce, and tuna sashimi boosted by jalapeno pepper. Clooney, Madonna and J-Lo may be amongst the clientele but the cuisine is the real star of the show here.